Ecclesiastes 6 Pt. 4- Pursuing

Happiness In Our Hearts

Chapter 5 ended with the point that not only does God allow people to prosper but God also gives the ability to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

When you get down to bare basics, what does everyone want?

19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Eccl 5So how do we stay occupied with the gladness of our heart…Solomon tells us in chapter 6

I. Enjoy the blessings of this life (6:1-6).

A. A Great and Common Evil1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: Eccl 6

Riches Wealth and Honor…2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it… Eccl 6

-What keeps us from being able to enjoy God’s good gifts???

A. A Great and Common EvilB. What keeps us from enjoying God’s gifts???

1. The Prosperity Test

Into the arms of another mans wife

Into the depths of harsh revenge

Deeply engrained into Egyptian culture

Away from God

Joseph - Could have let prosperity take him anywhere

A. A Great and Common EvilB. What keeps us from enjoying God’s gifts???

1. The Prosperity Test- Luke 12:15-21

- Possessed by possessions (Luke 12:15)

- Plans without the Planner (Luke 12:16-19)

- Future time verses eternity (Luke 12:20)

“So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.” (Luke 12:21)

A. A Great and Common EvilB. What keeps us from enjoying God’s gifts???1. The Prosperity Test2. True Satisfaction

- Would Living 2000 Years Bring Me True Satisfaction?3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he—6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place? Eccl 6

True Satisfaction comes from the goodness of God and being with Him

II. Accept the limitations of this life (6:7-9).

A. No matter how much we have or how hard we work, ultimately…. it is only so we can eat

7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied. Eccl 6

1. Physical things can only satisfy physical appetites8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 1 Tim 6

A. No matter how much we have or how hard we work, ultimately…. it is only so we can eat

7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied. Eccl 6

8 For what more has the wise man than the fool?

B. We All Need Something More Than This

What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living? Eccl 6

36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8

A. No matter how much we have or how hard we work, ultimately…. it is only so we can eat

B. We All Need Something More Than This

C. We Can Accept Life’s Limitations And Be Happier Than We Ever Have

9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. Eccl 6

“A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush”

Instead of thinking, “I can’t wait until…..”, why don’t we say ___________

From the world’s perspective, contentment is almost always

something that comes in the future. But the contentment God wants to give us is for the past, present, and

future

III. Happiness Is Found In God’s Hands(6:10-12)

10 Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man;

A. I Know Who You Are…I Named You

And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he. B. I Know What You Are…I’m Stronger Than You

C. I Know What’s Good For You…I Made You12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow?

Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?D. I Know What’s Next…I Prepared A Place For You

- Consider John 14:1-3- He Is Able To Deliver Me!!!!!